In EVERY situation....


I just received a phone call and I can't even tell you what a relief it was.  You know those moments when you don't even realize how stressed or worried you were about something until things fall into place.... and THEN you fall apart?  It reminds me of the sweet videos circulating on youtube of the military fathers coming home to their children and the children melting into tears at the sight of their daddies.  


So, let me back up.... In July, my third child was born.  A month later, I was barely beginning to get into the groove of having three children when Hurricane Irene hit and flooded us out of our house.  And I'm not talking a couple of inches... the water hit the ceiling of the first floor of our home.  Thankfully we had enough warning and had been able to move all of our belongings out, but in an instant we were displaced.  For a week my husband searched tirelessly for a place for us to live until we could figure out what we were going to do.  The Lord provided a beautiful home for us to rent... just at the end of 7 days.... when I was about to lose it (going to restaurants to use the bathroom and nursing my baby in our car was beginning to get to me... not to mention my 6 and 4 year old children who were needing some sense of normalcy).  


Knowing we were in this house temporarily, we only unpacked the kitchen and necessities for our bedrooms and living areas.  In the midst of house hunting,  I had been trying to get my kids back on a normal schedule with our home-schooling, with meals, and regular household obligations.  We found a house in October and began the process of obtaining a mortgage.  Everything was moving along very smoothly until the final week leading up to our closing date.  Then one thing after another happened to make me wonder if this was really the move the Lord would have us make.  That brings us to last night.


I was at a women's event for our church and at the end, I just really felt the need to have a precious friend of mine pray for me.  I went to talk with her but there were a few people already waiting, so I decided to just go on home.  I took a few detours before getting to the door and as I was heading that direction, my friend was heading toward me to go out the door as well.  I grabbed the opportunity to ask her to pray.  This sweet woman of God prayed a prayer that just seemed to wash over me and be exactly what I needed... as if the Holy Spirit was interceding for me through her (which is exactly what was happening).  More than anything she prayed for a season of peace for me and my family.  I embraced that and was holding on to it for the rest of last night and into this morning.  I just kept reflecting on her prayer and believing that is what God has for our family for now.  


I look around.  Our entire house is in boxes.  Poised to move.  And we CANNOT get a commitment from the lender.  I have been feeling like our life is on pause.  And we can't move forward on anything until we are settled in our permanent place.  So I just began fervently presenting my request to the Lord.  Basically begging Him.  Lord, please, let us be able to move this week.  About 2 minutes into that prayer, the phone rang.... it was our mortgage broker... we are set to close on Thursday.  I burst into tears on the phone with her, shouting Thank You Jesus!  And when I hung up I just began to cry.  Sweet tears, to my sweet Jesus.  He is so good to me.  The reality of Phil. 4:6 hit me then.  I have been hesitant to pray specifically that the Lord would move in this situation because it seems so insignificant in comparison to other things I devote my prayer time to.... orphans in Sudan, friends that are in need of healing, someone anxious about a miscarriage.... but His Word says "in EVERY situation, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.."  I tend to minimize my requests because there are so many others out there that are so much more important, but that's not the point.  


The point is that we have a sweet and GOOD Father who longs to be gracious to us if we would just bring our requests to Him.  And every once in a while I need to be reminded of that.  And perhaps, so do you.

To Obey is Better Than Sacrifice

I asked GraceAnna to take a shower this morning.  She ran off to play with her brother.  Twenty minutes later, I asked her again to get in the shower.  She got distracted again and went to play with Malachi.  I got distracted too and went about doing things in the house.  About an hour later, I realized Grace still had not obeyed.  I called her in where I was sitting and asked her again to please go take a shower.  She laid in my lap and began telling me how much she loved me.  She played with my hair, she kissed me, she hugged me..... she didn't obey me.  Now, I really don't think she was being manipulative - I think she was sincere.  However, in the face of her disobedience, I didn't care much about her adoration or praise of me.  I wanted her obedience!

I have been disturbed recently by the out-of-balance-ness of people who just want to "worship" Jesus all day.  It's all they talk about, it's all they want to do.... "I just want to LOVE Jesus and worship Him", they say.  And they are very sincere.  They watch youtube videos of praise and worship in all of their spare time.... even to the point that they are not getting their chores or homework or other day-to-day responsibilities done.  Is this pleasing to the Lord?  Does Jesus desire our worship to the exclusion of our obedience?  No, He does not.  

In the last conversation Jesus has with his disciples before His death and resurrection, he mentions obedience to His commands 9 times.  (John 13-17) Many times, phrased like this, "IF you love me, THEN obey my commands."  I would dare to say that all that time spent worshiping Jesus in your bedroom, or watching or listening to praise music, would be better spent in His Word, learning WHAT His commands are, and in prayer, asking Jesus to help you obey Him.  And then DOING it.  Stop talking, start doing.  

Just like with my daughter.... I would much rather have had her obey my request immediately, than have her sit there with me and "adore" me.  The PROOF of our love for Jesus is not in HOW well we worship/sing to Him, but in how well we OBEY Him.  Get in His Word!  No praise song can be an adequate substitute to Scripture.

Dilemma



What do you do when your 5 year old begins to have better arguments than you?  Lately, when I have asked GraceAnna to do certain things, she has come up with, actually, really good reasons not to.  So, do I continue and make her obey because I'm the mom and that's what I said to do and she needs to obey me without question?  Or.... when her argument makes a lot of sense and actually makes what I'm asking her to do look silly, do I relent and back down on what I'm asking of her?  Hmmmm...... here are some recent conversations:

"GraceAnna, you need to finish your dinner.  You are not allowed to eat anything else tonight unless you finish your dinner.  It is perfectly good food and if you are hungry, that's what you can eat."

"Mommy, is that the MOST healthy thing that we have that I can eat?"

"Errrrr, uhhh, no, not the MOST healthy thing that we have in our house..."

"Well, I only want to eat the most healthy thing that we have.... can I have a banana instead?"

(She won that one)


"GraceAnna, we are learning this hymn for school, and I can't hear you singing it - you are just mouthing the words.  You need to sing it out so I can hear you."

"But Mommy, I'm singing it to God, and HE can hear me...."

(She won that one as well)

Now, I just want to clarify that each time, she was not disrespectful in the way she presented her case, just more, I guess, wondering why I was insisting on one way.

I still have a whole lot to learn as a mama.......

Finding GraceAnna's Ministry Niche


I have been wanting to get involved in a ministry with my kids.  I feel strongly that ministry isn't just something I do, and get a babysitter for my kids while I go "minister" to others.  So, I have been in process... trying to find the right area to minister with my kids.  We tried out my church's food pantry/ clothing provision for our community.  I figured it would be an easy thing for the kids to do (GraceAnna is 5 and Malachi is 3).  I figured we could go, sort clothes and food, they wouldn't get in anyone's way, and the hours could be do-able.  We went 2 times.... both times they were bored in a matter of minutes... and no coaxing on my part (how we are helping others, this pleases Jesus, etc.) could help the situation.  After the second time, GraceAnna came to me and said, " Mommy, I really want to help people and make Jesus happy, but I don't think this is my thing.  I just don't really like it.  I am trying to like it, but it is hard.  Can we find something else to do together?"  I was so happy to hear her say that.... and it was true - a wake-up call for me.... why was I trying to force a "ministry" on my kids just cause it was "something they could do at their age", instead of it being something they loved and thrived in?  So I began praying that the Lord would open my eyes to another ministry that would utilize my children's strengths.
Fast forward to today..... we visited a nursing home.... and it was amazing for me to see my daughter absolutely shine Jesus with a willing and happy heart.  Our church conducts a church service one Sunday a month at a local nursing home.  GraceAnna and I went.  She was so excited to go, had made pictures to give to some of the residents, and couldn't stop talking about it and anticipating it.  She had also practiced Amazing Grace to sing for them :)  I was astounded watching her working within her strengths.  At the end of the service, we were able to go and talk with the people that came and ask if we could pray for them.  I walked with GraceAnna and we met Carol who asked us to pray for her health.  I asked Grace if she would like to pray, and without hesitation, she bowed her head and prayed for Mrs. Carol and that she would be happy and feel better.  When she was finished, Carol asked if she could just talk to me, I said sure, and Grace, to my amazement, moved on to other residents on her own.  She would ask their name and what she could pray for, bowed her head and prayed with them.  She walked around giving and getting kisses, holding hands and patting arms and shoulders.
It just goes to show that no matter WHAT age you are, if you are ministering within your strengths and gifts, Jesus will use you and bless you in the process.  I praised the Lord over and over again that I was able to see this so clearly in my daughter.  I pray He holds her heart close and she follows Him all the days of her life!!
When we were leaving, she said she loved it and asked if we could come back and visit very soon?  I am determined to make that happen!!

Languages


Recently, I was out to lunch with GraceAnna and Malachi and one of the employees at the restaurant had a foreign accent.  Malachi commented, "He talks funny."  I tried to explain that he was from a different country so he sounded a little different when he spoke, because he was used to speaking a different language.  GraceAnna thinks on that for a minute and then says, "  So, maybe he speaks German, or New Jersey, or Latin?"

Malachi was drinking soda from a can and it was dribbling out his mouth and down his chin. I took it from him and he protested saying he didn't get any in his mouth yet. I said, "Chi! How is that possible? How could it be dripping all down your chin and onto your shirt and not get in your mouth at all??" GraceAnna, standing by, examines her brother, and quickly assesses," Maybe he has a hole in his neck!"